There has been known an image forming apparatus that has a normal mode and a power saving mode. The image forming apparatus is operational in the normal mode. In the power saving mode, the image forming apparatus consumes less electric power than in the normal mode (for example, Patent Literature 1), In a power saving printer (image forming apparatus) described in Patent Literature 1, When an apparatus state acquisition request is received from an external device while the printer is in a power saving mode, apparatus state information stored in a storage before the printer entered the power saving mode is read and given to the external device. Therefore, even when the apparatus state acquisition request is received from the external device, the power saving printer described in Patent Literature 1 maintains the power saving mode and saves electric power consumption.